The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.“A spellbinding fairy tale rooted in Mexican mythology . . . Gods of Jade and Shadow is a magical fairy tale about identity, freedom, and love, and it’s like nothing you’ve read before.”—BustleNEBULA AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF … AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Tordotcom • The New York Public Library • BookRiot
The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.
Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.
In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.
Praise for Gods of Jade and Shadow
“A dark, dazzling fairy tale . . . a whirlwind tour of a 1920s Mexico vivid with jazz, the memories of revolution, and gods, demons, and magic.”—NPR
“Snappy dialog, stellar worldbuilding, lyrical prose, and a slow-burn romance make this a standout. . . . Purchase where Naomi Novik, Nnedi Okorafor, and N. K. Jemisin are popular.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“A magical novel of duality, tradition, and change . . . Moreno-Garcia’s seamless blend of mythology and history provides a ripe setting for Casiopea’s stellar journey of self-discovery, which culminates in a dramatic denouement. Readers will gladly immerse themselves in Moreno-Garcia’s rich and complex tale of desperate hopes and complicated relationships.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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5 out of 5 stars
I want to thank netgalley and Del Rey books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.
This is a lovely fairy tale/fantasy that takes place in the 1920’s. When we first meet Casiopea Tun she is living with her Mother in her Grandfather’s estate. Since her Father Casiopea has basically spent her life as a slave for her Grandfather and her mean cousin her resents her. She dreams of someday leaving. Setting out for an adventure in the great big world but her reality is that she spends much of her time scrubbing floors and polishing shoes. One day Casiopea is banned from going on a visit with her family she finds a chest. Though she always tries to be good she can’t stop herself from wanting to open the mysterious chest. Perhaps her Grandfather keeps coins there and even though she is honest she is also desperate to get out of the life she is living. Maybe she could grab a few coins and hide them away for her escape fund? When she opens the chest she discovers something much more different than she was expecting. She discovers that the chest is full of bones. After she pricks her finger with a bone something happens. A form begins to solidify in front of her. It is the dethroned God of Death Hun-Kamé who promises her freedom and anything else her heart desires if she helps him find his missing pieces. It’s not like she can say no to him though as a piece of his bone is lodged in her finger and as he lives she begins to die.
As Casiopea and Hun-Kamé on their journey they begin to form and interesting relationship. With her cousin trailing behind her working for Hun-Kamé’s brother (the one that imprisoned him) she knows she must fight an battle for both of Casiopea and Hun-Kamé’s life. This story is unique and lovely. Definitely the kin of book you really want to get lost in.
!Reading Gods of Jade and Shadow at first was a bit like reading Homer or more currently, Tolkien as it seemed it would be very difficult going. Different languages, hard to pronounce names, countries and times I knew little about. Yet as it went along it became more of a fairy tale, very similar to Cinderella. But darker, full of gods of the underworld and death.
This story is very deep, very intense and very beautiful. I loved the world creation, the characters, not to mention the depth of description and language.
Casiopea made a wonderful Cinderella. But a Cinderella for today. A Cinderella we could all aspire to. Hun-Kame was an unusual hero, being a god of death, twin to a more usual villain,Vucub-Kame, and a king without his crown. The evil “stepson” cousin Martin, played his role well, being petulant and selfish and greedy as only an evil cousin can be. And the even more evil master of the house, the grandfather, Cirilo Leyva, was a nasty, bitter old man, as fits the traditional “stepmother”.
Put this cast of characters together, weave a tale of a misused girl, an evil grandfather, a vicious cousin, a cruel, greedy usurper and a god who needs to win back his crown, and you have the makings of a fairytale for the ages. This was so well written, so fully fleshed out, so vivid in its detail and so engaging in its dialog that I’d be hard-pressed not to recommend it to all.
Excellent job, Silvia Moreno-Garcia. You have placed yourself firmly in the company of the Brothers Grimm. So very well done indeed!
Ii received this book from NetGalley and provide my review in my own words and of my own volition.
This book blends the best of magical realism, a quest story, and a search for identity into a compelling, engaging book. I loved Cassopeia, the protagonist, and her travel companion also drew me in. Villains that are complex and journeys that are rich in detail. Definitely recommended.